Tooth whitening has become popular in today's culture. More and more consumers are searching for the best method to achieve tooth whitening. Professional tooth bleach by a dentist is common. Generally, there are two types of professional tooth bleaching: in the dentist's office or outside of the dentist's office. In the office tooth bleaching generally involves several visits to the dentist and the use of a rubber dam to protect the patient's gums from the bleaching agents. Out of the office tooth bleaching generally involves the use of a device or tray which is made in the dental office to fit the patient's teeth. The device is reused, and therefore, must be sufficiently robust to endure repeat handling, cleaning, filling, installation, and wearing. Typically, a patient uses the device in time periods when social contact can be avoided.
There are now non-professional programs available to persons interested in whitening their teeth using commercial products available at drug stores. The commercial products provide a kit which includes a generic appliance and a container of bleaching gel. The obvious appeal is the lower cost of the program. A major disadvantage of this generic “one size fits all” appliance is the greater void space between the interior walls of the appliance and the teeth versus a professionally fitted appliance. Hence, in order to insure intimate contact of the bleaching gel and the teeth surfaces, more bleaching gel is required. Furthermore, the poorer fit means a greater loss of bleaching gel onto the gums, into the oral cavity, and eventual ingestion. The commercial kits, an the outside-the-office professionally administered program, require the user to clean and to reuse the appliance. Since generic appliances are not fitted to the individual user, they are even more bulky in the mouth than the fitted appliances and thus they restrict social discourse to a greater degree.
One attempt to remedy some of the problems of the commercial kits is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,575,654, issued to Fontenot on Nov. 19, 1996. Fontenot discloses a prepackaged moldable dental appliance adapted to fit a wide range of variously sized dental arches. In use, the dental appliance is removed from the packaging, aligned in a parallel fashion to the edges of the teeth and pushed over the teeth in the direction of the periodontal tissue until it covers the teeth surfaces.
Another solution is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,310,563, issued to Curtis et al. on May 10, 1994. Curtis et al. disclose a putty-like material which is formed by pressing against the teeth. It is held in place by mechanical engagement with undercut surfaces and by friction. The composition encapsulates the active.
Other methods are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,425,953, issued to Sintov et al. on Jun. 20, 1995. Sintov et al. discloses a liquid polymer composition for bleaching of the teeth. The liquid polymer composition forms a film after applied to the teeth. Other references which disclose using a film in the oral cavity include U.S. Pat. No. 4,713,243 issued to Schiraldi et al. on Dec. 15, 1987, and U.S. Pat. No. 2,835,628, issued to Saffir on May 20, 1958.